The ones who were supposed to come didn't show up, and the ones who shouldn't have come are now here.
Kiryu's eyes gleamed with madness. Jin's appearance didn't just represent the Blade-less Pirates—it meant Shanks.
But once Shanks is involved, this becomes something Kiryu can't control. Still... this might be a chance. A much bigger chance.
"I'm here for matters related to the World Government. You should know what my presence means, Kiryu."
Jin's tone was calm, but he carried himself with unmistakable arrogance, looking down on everyone around him.
Only when he's with Shanks and the others does Jin act like a simple, easygoing brute.
But in front of these "regular" pirates, Jin was a top-tier powerhouse. On top of that, his identity alone gave him more than enough reason to feel proud.
It gave him the right to look down on these pirates—this was the kind of standing that came from being part of the greatest fleet in the New World. He had earned that right.
"Zeh zeh zeh!!"
"I didn't expect you to catch Shanks' attention, hahaha."
"Jin, of course I know who you represent."
Kiryu looked at Jin. His words showed he was on board.
But Jin shook his head.
"This isn't Captain Shanks' decision. But I do have some authority in this matter. Besides, the Revolutionary Army's cooperation with you is also involved."
"I'm just here to pass the message along."
"It's not Shanks' idea?"
"Pretty much what I expected. Zehahaha."
Kiryu paused for a second after hearing Jin's words, then quickly understood.
He knew full well what kind of person he was. Thinking Shanks would even know his name? That was wishful thinking.
Still, even if this wasn't Shanks' personal order, it didn't mean it was any less dangerous.
"So, who exactly are the Revolutionary Army and I supposed to target this time? Don't tell me it's Land of Water?"
"No."
Jin shook his head without hesitation.
Hearing this, Gasgar—who was standing beside Kiryu—breathed a sigh of relief.
"Captain, even if we wanted to, going up against Land of Water is just too much."
"But if it's not Land of Water, then it must be one of the smaller countries. In that case, it's something we can probably manage."
Kiryu's officers weren't dumb. They knew who their real target was this time.
Pirates don't usually work together, but in certain situations, the rules change.
However, unlike his relieved crew, Kiryu didn't look happy at all.
The strongest power in East Blue was Land of Water.
If it wasn't Land of Water, then there was only one other country it could be.
"Captain, what's wrong?"
Gasgar noticed something off about his captain.
Kiryu's body was trembling. He slowly turned around. His pupils had shrunk to the size of pinheads—a state he only reached when he was completely unhinged.
At that moment, Gaska also realized something was wrong.
The only thing that could push their captain into this kind of state had to be an opponent so strong it was almost impossible to beat.
"It couldn't be... the Land of Fire, right?"
Gaska looked up at Jin.
The moment he said that, Gaska was completely stunned.
What kind of presence was this? These were the elites from the world's strongest pirate crew. Even something small would involve nations—and now they had their sights set directly on the powerful Land of Fire.
Gaska couldn't even imagine something like this.
We're talking about a whole country!!
How could a pirate crew possibly take on a country?
No matter how strong Jin was, he came from the same side as Shanks.
The people on Shanks' ship—just their casual words and actions could shake the whole world. Even when it came to major events affecting the balance of power, those people always seemed calm, like it was nothing serious.
Shanks alone could see through the entire situation of the ninja world and come up with the right strategy.
Even without Shanks, the rest of his crew weren't ordinary people.
To them, things like this were just everyday business.
It was just like the many past schemes in the ninja world—those plans used to target villages, sometimes even just individuals.
Back then, people were always scheming inside one village.
But times had changed—or maybe it was just that their vision had changed, and their presence had grown.
Shanks and his crew didn't bother with individuals or even villages. Their plans skipped right over those and went straight to something bigger.
Under this kind of grand strategy, the clever tricks of individuals, the tangled interests between villages—none of that mattered anymore. It would all be crushed by the weight of the era.
Plans aimed at individuals simply couldn't survive. That's why people like Black Zetsu and Obito were starting to lose their place in this world.
Because the momentum of the era was just too overwhelming.
Regular people couldn't possibly stand out under that kind of pressure.
But Shanks' crew was different. More precisely, it was because of Shanks that everyone around him could see the bigger picture and the direction of the world.
For Kiryu and his crew, just the idea of going up against a whole country—especially the strongest of the Five Great Nations—was unthinkable.
And yet Kiryu... no, he *was* different. Jin's presence alone meant he had what it took to go up against the Land of Fire.
At that moment, it was like Kiryu was being watched by Shanks himself.
In a way no one else could sense, the will of the world began to rush toward Kiryu.
He was already deep in madness—but strangely, in the middle of that madness, his mind was becoming clearer, like he was about to pierce through the fog.
"Your enemy is the Land of Fire.
This is a partnership. You can say no if you want."
Jin finally spoke.
"Say no? No way, hahaha.
It's just the Land of Fire."
Kiryu had no intention of refusing. He'd been waiting all this time for a chance like this.
He might not trust himself—but he trusted Shanks.
Even though this was a partnership with the Revolutionary Army, with how things were going, it was certain that Shanks would get involved.
"I'm just wondering, what's the deal the Revolutionary Army is offering us?
If you want us to take on the Land of Fire, I'm afraid I'm not strong enough right now."
"The deal? It's not anything huge.
But it should be enough to get you through what's coming."
Jin's thick, rugged face broke into a smile.
"Come with me, Captain Chameleon."
"A chameleon is still a dragon."
Kiryu leapt up and landed on the deck.
"Dragons can soar through the sky, but chameleons can't."
Jin turned his back to Kiryu. In front of him lay a large pile of items.
"If the wind is strong enough, even a chameleon can fly."
"That depends on whether the wind from the New World is strong enough."
Kiryu also turned his eyes to the pile of items.
Among them, he spotted something very familiar.
"A chakra armor from the Land of Snow?"
"To be exact, it's a modified chakra absorber. Besides that, there are also materials from the Divine Tree, just for you."